


The Velvet and the Destiny

by thirtypercentdone



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 21:33:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15916680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thirtypercentdone/pseuds/thirtypercentdone
Summary: Agatha has a hero complex and some gay feelings, Penelope just wants to know what is going on, and Baz and Simon are living their best lives out of mortal peril.





	The Velvet and the Destiny

In this exact situation, any person who possessed even an ounce of self-preservation or intelligence would have been running for the hills. 

Unfortunately, Agatha did not have that option, as her legs were bound together and she was hanging upside down over a cauldron of green bubbling liquid while trolls (ick) discussed the proper way to marinate human bones.

Not ideal. Not ideal at all.

Of course, she was not in this mess alone. Penelope Bunce hung from another branch, sweating bullets and shooting Agatha stern looks when they spun to face each other, looks that seemed to say, “It’s your fault we’re going to be eaten by trolls before graduation”.

It wasn’t Agatha’s fault….Okay, maybe it was a little. Maybe...a lot. But it was Baz and Simon’s fault too! She briefly wonders where they wandered off to, but then decides not to guilt herself even further for this absolute disaster. 

Fucking fuck. This sure would be a good time to have a sword, or a wand, or anything at all really. But they all went in unprepared, not expecting to be kidnapped by trolls, obviously. 

Should have planned ahead.

The whole excursion into the wood was all Simon’s idea. That amazing guy. That absolute fucking moron. 

He had seen something, or someone lurking around the cloisters and had told his vampire roommate about it (as you do). After further investigation, they discovered that the imposter came around midnight from the wood, and always peeked in through Keris and Stacy’s window. It was unclear whether or not they were human, or even what their goal was. But as soon as Simon saw trouble, which he always does. He had to barrel in head first, taking the rest of us with him.

(He insisted that the girls stay back, but Agatha thought the two should go. Just to be safe, it is their dorm after all. Pen wasn’t completely on board but after light convincing, she caved.) 

Agatha suspects it’s that exact “light convincing” that Penelope will accuse her of when they either find a way out of this or die painfully. (Hopefully option one)

Luckily, it seems the very, very angry girl came prepared with a switchblade. Agatha watches Penelope lift herself up and begin to cut the bonds on her ankles. She does so in a quick, silent motion before flipping her body onto a tree branch and shimmying over to where Agatha is tied, cutting the rope and muttering things like, “You owe me so much for this”.  
And, “You got us kidnapped by bloody trolls! You and Simon and your damn hero complexes I swear to god.”

Agatha takes it with a grain of salt, knowing that her friend is just concerned for both of their safety. And with good reason, it seems, because as soon as Agatha is cut free, the trolls turn around to discover that their captives have vanished. 

Trolls and Anger, not a good combination. Especially when you’re hiding behind a tree with a girl who looks willing to give you up to bloodthirsty monsters any second. 

The two whisper an escape route, once they have set a safe course home (based on the stars, thank magick for Watford’s required astrology classes) Agatha asks, “Why do you have a switchblade on you? by the way”

Penelope shrugs, “Don’t you bring knives with you everywhere? It’s a dog eat dog world, Agatha. Gotta be prepared”

There is a long pause before Agatha can even begin to understand what to make of that sentence. “What the fresh fuck Penny”

Before the conversation can continue any longer, the trolls return to their boiling pots, giving Agatha and Penelope a chance to make a mad dash towards safety. The latter lost her glasses somewhere during the kidnapping, so she keeps tripping over roots and branches that have fallen on the forest floor. That coupled with Agatha’s general slowness when it comes to running causes the girls to arrive back at Watford after nightfall. 

One might assume that if say, your friends were kidnapped by trolls, you would stick around until they got back, just to make sure they were alright. That is exactly what Baz and Simon didn’t do because when Agatha and Penelope arrive back, the grounds are completely empty, and freezing.

This is when Penelope gets a little bit frustrated. 

“What the absolute fuck were you thinking?! Just once we have the option to stay safe on school property, without any risk of danger. But noooooo, you just had to be a hero, and I’m sick of being talked into things by you! I care about our friends Agatha, but exams are tomorrow. That is right after we’ve spent the night out here in the freezing cold and have gotten zero sleep!.”

Agatha waits for her friend to finish speaking before coming to her own defense, “I’m really sorry, Pen. I didn’t think, I never think. Being a damsel in distress for four years has really messed with my head. I was so stupid, I put you in danger. There’s no excuse for that”

Penelope slumps down on the grass, clearly exhausted. The fight leaving her eyes rapidly, she forgives Agatha and apologizes for the things she said, even though she meant them. “Some things are better left unspoken”

The girls fall into a fitful sleep on the grass, laying next to each other. And if one takes the others hand in the middle of the night, just to have something to hold. There’s nobody there to see it.

When they awake and head to their separate exams (After properly chastising Baz and Simon, of course) Agatha’s mind wanders, to chocolate brown eyes that melt into a little bit of amber in the middle. She thinks of soft hair and a warm laugh. She daydreams about Penelope. 

Oh, fuck.

After the exams are done and Christmas break has started, Agatha does everything she can to make her strange, terrible thoughts go away. But they only worsen. Every time she sees Penny all she can think about is kissing her, kissing her and then running away. 

It’s selfish. Penelope doesn’t know that Agatha is constantly thinking about how her smile shines brighter than any star. It would only be a burden to tell her, knowing the feeling isn’t mutual. But a rift begins to form between them, slowly, and then suddenly.

Agatha recoils every time Penelope touches her. She doesn’t pick up her phone calls, she ignores Penelope for days as her feelings get more and more unbearable and frankly embarrassing to manage.

School begins again, and things are almost normal. Almost. But the tenseness and uncertainty doesn’t go away, and neither to Agatha’s pesky emotions. She snaps at her friend, saying that no, she isn’t sick, and to leave her alone. 

It continues and escalates quickly. She and Penelope exchange frustrated glances in the hallways, sometimes running into each other intentionally to spill the other person's school supplies all over the floor. (that might not seem like a big deal, but cauldrons are messy)

The tension builds and builds. Agatha thinks to herself one night that Penelope deserves to know why this is happening, and how she must be so confused. Acting like enemies when all they’ve ever been is friends.

However, her guilt evaporates after a screaming match the next day.

“You think just because you’re pretty and privileged you can treat everyone else like shit! I’m sick of it. You gave up your role of damsel in distress when you broke Simon’s heart, so stop fucking acting like the victim”

Agatha is taken aback by Penelope's sudden outburst. But is hurt by it regardless.

“I might have done that, but at least I won’t be stuck playing the sidekick my whole life! At least I’m not a supporting character in somebody else's story, Penelope.”

Penelope slams her hand against a locker, spins on her heel, and walks off. 

Okay, maybe fighting with her isn’t the best strategy.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, Y'all. This fic is going to be short and has two chapters, I rarely ever see 'Friends to Enemies to Lovers' as a trope, and that might be because it's a bad idea. But what can I say, I had to do it to em.
> 
> Enjoy :)


End file.
